From the Sea
by greenie06
Summary: What if Poseidon had a daughter that he was not aware of? read the story of Pelagia Taylor and her encounters with the other demi-gods on their adventures together!
1. Prologue

Note: I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original character, Pelagia Taylor

_Prologue _

_Pelagia sat on the warm sand of the Palm Beach coast line. Her green eyes followed the motion of the tide. In, out, in, out. She smiled as the warm salt water tickled her toes, and she began to recollect what had occurred earlier that day. Her brows furrowed as she thought about her step father sneering at her about her grades starting to slip, that she would end up as nothing more than a common street whore or strip girl if she continued to not take school seriously. Didn't he understand that her dyslexia and ADHD severely handicapped her? That having a C average was not bad despite these crippling attributes of hers? Probably. Did he care? Hell no. She smirked at her own sarcastic tone, continuing to enviously watch the water that lay as far as the eye could see, twisting and churning; doing whatever it wished. Pelagia sighed softly, yearning for that kind of freedom. She didn't even realize she was crying until her vision momentarily blurred and she felt a warm trickle of tears fall onto her lap. Instinctively heaving a soft sob, she angrily rubbed her eyes and reminded herself that tears wouldn't change anything. Tears won't make her life happier or raise her grades, nor increase her chances of getting into a decent college, so there was no point to them. Suddenly, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Pelagia leaped to her feet from her seated position in the sand and spun around to see a man wearing bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt smiling at her._

"_Hello my dear," the man with dashing green eyes and jet black hair said. "It's nearly midnight, and yet you're here weeping by your lonesome, won't your parents be worried about you?" as the stranger posed his question to her his eyes widened slightly, as if producing evidence of his genuine concern. After getting over her moment of awe for the handsome wanderer that seemingly came out of thin air, Pelagia barked a laugh._

"_Well, seeing as my mom is six feet under, and I've never met my real father, I don't think they mind a bit." The man's eye brows grew heavy in compassion and the small smile that had been on his lips, surrounded by his well trimmed beard, instantly faded; not expecting such a negative retort. _

"_Oh, my..I'm..I'm so sorry for your loss..Do you not have any family at all?" Pelagia stared at the man for a moment, debating on how to answer his question. Do I dare be straightforward? Or should I sugar coat it all? She chewed her lower lip as she rolled these thoughts around in her mind over and over again. But before she could come to a decision, the stranger interrupted her. _

"_Well, how about this, why don't we start off with introductions first? Maybe then the words you are so obviously searching for will come easier. "the man said, green eyes twinkling as he regained his smile back. Pelagia blushed and looked away; she had no idea that she had been so obvious; like an open book that this man could thumb through and read at his leisure. The handsome stranger made the first move, stepping forward and extending his hand. _

"_I'm Poseidon, and you are?.." Pelagia extended her hand to match his more out of reaction than actually wanting to get to know him. After all, she still had her suspicions about him. His hand engulfed hers, and instantly Pelagia was overwhelmed with a tingling sensation that sped its way through her body, instantly warming her. Immediately she felt her guard drop, and oddly knew that he was a safe presence. Shyly glancing up at him through her long, dark eye lashes, she murmured a name that only someone with superior hearing could have discerned. The man allowed a large, dazzling grin to spread across his face at the mention of her name. _

"_Pelagia!? Well, that is quite a pretty name for a pretty girl." Pelagia allowed herself a small smile to spread across her lips, the tears that she had just previously shed still glistened in her eyes, catching the moonlight and making them seem to glow a light green. If I could have had a chance at knowing my real father, I would have wanted it to be someone like him she thought. Her silent wish was interrupted by a fierce, cool wind blowing through the beach that seemed to pass right through her. She shivered violently, and silently cursed to herself for not bringing a light-weight jacket. The man named Poseidon released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, turning her towards the street and making his way deeper in land with her at his side. _

"_It's not always safe for young girls to be out alone on the beach so late. Go home my dear and come back when you are not so vulnerable." At his last word the arm he so affectionately had placed over her shoulders disappeared with a wisp of sea air. Pelagia turned around, perturbed by the last statement he told her, but saw no one there. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she began to question herself. Had she hallucinated it all? But glanced down at the tracks that her feet left in the sand, noticing another pair of foot prints that had walked with her own. And then she realized something; he said that his name was Poseidon! As in God of the sea? She swiveled her head around, scouring each nook and cranny of the beach with her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Finding nothing, she turned back towards the street and started walking away from the beach, heeding Poseidon's advice. One thing was definite, if she ever met this Poseidon again, she needed to get some answers about who he was. She smiled to herself at the thought of him being a Greek god. And somehow, she knew that he would run into her again. _


	2. Chapter 1

Hello all! Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I hope you enjoy the first official chapter! And though it may seem kind of rough, don't worry, things will get better, I promise :D.

I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original characters, Pelagia Taylor and Steve Gufford.

Surrounded by a bright, glowing light sat a woman cradling an infant. Her azure eyes squinted with a smile as she pushed a black lock out of the baby's face with her pale hand.

"My beautiful baby, you may be considered a mistake by some, but to me you are my miracle." She fidgeted with the soft green blanket that surrounded the newborn.

"And I'm sure your father would agree with me, if he knew of you." At the mention of the baby's mysterious sire, the woman's full, pink lips drew down into a slight frown.

"I had to keep you hidden away from your father, both for his and your benefit." Her grey-blue eyes started to water up with tears.

"If he knew of your existence, then the rest of them would know of you as well, and that would place you and your father in a great deal of trouble. But I know that your daddy could take care of himself, it's you that I would be worried about. Horrible, awful things would come for you then, and you could never live a normal life. I know from your father that some who are like you can live ordinary lives, so I hope my actions will benefit your future, and maybe, just maybe you can by pass a horrible future. I so want you to be happy." She smiled once again down at her baby, and gasped in delight when the sleeping infant opened its eyes to reveal a sea green color.

"You are so like your father; you are completely of the sea." Suddenly, the bright light surrounding the woman and child turned dark and treacherous. A dark shape materialized and towered up menacingly; thrusting a dagger in the air. The woman's eyes widened at the impending danger and she tried to dash away; clutching her child to her chest. Her long blonde tresses were streaming out behind her like ribbons as she ran, but the creature struck his clawed, gnarly hand out; grabbing the beautiful woman by her hair to hold her in place. The shadow brought the weapon down over the lady before she could escape; in her demise, she released a scream that was piercing, and grew louder and more intense by the second. Then everything went black.

Pelagia shot up out of her bed, panting heavily as she processed what she saw in her dream. She looked wildly around the room she was in, relieved to discover that she was still in the crappy little attic of her step-father's luxury home in Palm Beach, and not at the scene of her mother's death. She laid her face in her hands, noticing for the first time just how clammy her palms were; as was the rest of her body. She was startled out of her self-comforting ritual by an obnoxious rapping coming from the floor of her room, and a muffled command from the floor below to "get her worthless ass up and come down to fix breakfast." Scowling at the nasty remark, she slowly stood from her wobbly framed bed and walked over to her dumpy dresser. Still shaken up from the disturbing nightmare, she ran a hand through her hair trying to calm her racing heart, staring at herself in the mirror.

"Why do I keep having this dream? What baby is mom holding? Why can't I ever save her from the demonic shape that ends her life?" Pelagia slammed her fists down onto her dresser, frustration etched into her face. Still leaning on her dresser, she glanced at her alarm clock and noticed the time.

_Shit! I'm going to be late!_ She mentally cursed to herself and whipped open her dresser drawers, nearly ripping the handles off in the process. Rifling through her four tiny drawers (which were actually made for a young child) she finally found what she was searching for.

"Ah! Here they are!" She exclaimed as she found her favorite pair of jeans. Pelagia lifted the jeans out of the drawer and held them out at arm's length; admiring them.

_As much as I love Buckle clothes, tis not a luxury I can afford often.. _Pelagia thought remorsefully to herself.

_The jeans had taken months to save up for… S_he reminded herself sternly so as to make sure they would last. Though she could have gotten another pair if her step father's drinking escapades hadn't made him so excessively persistent at finding her hidden money stash, no matter how many times she found a new hiding place.

"This time, there's no way he'll find my hard earned cash again…" She murmured to herself, determined to save up enough money to do something with her life once she graduated from high school.

"No.." Pelagia corrected to herself, "IF I graduate high school. Let's just hope I can survive this year, the first day of school always sucks…" She slipped the jeans on and pulled over an older green t-shirt. Stopping to admire herself in the mirror before she padded down stairs, she finger combed her long raven hair; gently tugging out the small snarls and tangles. She spun once in front of the mirror, smirking at her appearance.

_Thank god for the ass and thighs that competitive horseback riding has given to me. Seems that exercising those rich people's stallion in Wellington has really paid off for my physique._ She smiled at the thought of how she spent her summer.

_Just working out horses and laying out on the beach. Not a bad way to spend one's summer. And the pay was pretty decent too_. _Ugh, if only I could do that all the time._ She pouted to herself for a moment.

_Oh well, no use in complaining over something I can't change for now _Pelagia shrugged to herself. After looking at herself one more time and admiring how her hair curled at the ends, and how her clothes accented her pale skin and lean figure, she regrettingly went down stairs to fix "the pig's" breakfast. Pelagia snickered to herself at the nickname she had for Steve, her stepfather since she was 5, when she was left with him as her only family since her mother had married him just before she was murdered. Her 5 year old mind was able to easily link his round, red face, fat belly and love for wearing pink polo shirts that barely covered his bulging frame to the barn yard animal. And since then, the nickname always stuck.

"And wouldn't you know it, but it also matches his personality too." Pelagia growled to herself as she thought about what he often did.

_The scum brings home women with him, whom he can only attract because of all the money he inherited from MY mother when she passed away, and he wastes it on frivolous spending and booze drinking._ She ground her teeth at the thought of how a couple of weeks after her mother was buried, she remembered him already going out and fornicating with over eager women; practically groveling at his feet for the inherited money he had recently taken in. Rounding the fancy staircase, she walked into the kitchen and narrowed her eyes as she saw him sitting at the table; his back and balding blond head facing her.

"Hello girl…You're late…" Steve whispered dangerously without turning around to face her. The hair on the back of Pelagia's neck pricked up as she instinctively sensed the danger she was in. Steve suddenly stood up from the table, pushing the chair in so hard that it slammed into the table; slightly denting it. He then leaned over and snatched the string that attached to the blinds on the kitchen window, twisting it in his fingers until the flaps closed; which Pelagia knew would shut out any outsiders that may be attracted by the impending confrontation. She watched with dread as Steve turned from the window and aggressively sauntered to her. Pelagia was proud, and always willing to stand up for herself, but knew when to be quiet in order to stay alive. She also realized that though she was decently strong and agile, there was no way her 120 lb frame and lack of fighting experience could compete with her step-father's 300 lb body and street fighting background from his younger days. Steve swung the back of his hand into her face, and Pelagia clattered to the floor, automatically getting into a fetal position to protect her organs.

"You don't EVER come down here late again. I am the man of this house and you will serve me! When I tell you to cook me breakfast you're going to do it on time dammit!" the last phrase was emphasized by a stomp to her mid-section; a majority of his weight put in the blow. Pelagia bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Her eyes slightly misted over as she decided to concentrate on other things.

_I'll be damned if I give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. And besides, trying to fight back or run away just makes things worse._ She grimaced as she felt him lean in close to her, screaming obscenities in her face.

_I always have to come back sometime, and when I come back, the beating is always worse. Always. _Her thoughts turned dark as she reminisced about past occasions when she had retaliated. No, now she had learned to bide her time, which she would until the second she turned 18; only two years to wait. Once that time came, she didn't know where she'd go, but she knew it'd be far from here. Pelagia grunted as Steve hit her in an exceptionally tender area and tuned out his ranting once more.

_And it never helps that Steve is friends with a good portion of the Palm Beach cops; people he had hung out with in his youth_. She reminded herself

_So there is no way to report him and get to a safer place. The only option is to wait it out, unless I'd like to go to an orphanage, and let's face it, the only way I'll graduate is with the education from Palm Beach High. At least they taught me how to read with my dyslexia, so long as I can concentrate and sit long enough to do it. _She gasped as one blow particularly stung. Steve always made sure to hit in areas that wouldn't be visible, or to strike in a way that would hurt, but not leave a mark. Bastard. Steve leaned up and grabbed a plate from the cabinet, than bent down and shook it in her face for emphasis as he ended his tirade.

"YOU are MINE!" He then threw the plate down onto the kitchen floor, sending glass flying in every direction. Pelagia jumped at the action and covered her face, praying that none of the glass would get into her eyes. She kept her face covered as she heard Steve stomp out of the house and walk into the garage, then finally pull away in his camaro; its tires screeching as he powered down Okeechobee boulevard and off to work. As soon as she knew it was safe, she slowly stood up from the granite floor, assessing herself. She hissed as she accidently prodded a painful bruise too harshly and then observed the kitchen.

"Ugh, I need to pick up all this glass before I get to school, I'm already late." Pelagia limped over to the pantry to retrieve the broom and dust pan, cringing as she heard her arm pop when she reached out for the broom handle.

"I'll be O.K., it will all turn out O.K…" She hummed softly to reassure herself as she swept up the broken plate. Ironically, one good outcome she learned from the punishment that Steve dealt out to her was that she had a natural ability to heal quickly, though she could never understand why, and chose to keep her little secret to herself. After dumping the broken plates and cups into the garbage, she dashed out to her car parked on the side of the street, fumbling with the keys to her 1992 Sedan affectionately named Betsy. Pushing the keys into the ignition, the car stubbornly growled a mechanical complaint and refused to start.

"Come on girl, Come on.." Pelagia rubbed the dashboard with her hand, similar in fashion to when she would encourage a spooked thoroughbred to move on. Finally, the old car started, purring like a kitten. Switching the car into drive, Pelagia pulled off the side of the street and urged the car to 50mph, praying that her first class of the morning would go smoothly.


	3. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!

I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original characters, Pelagia Taylor, and Steve Gufford.

* * *

Making a sharp turn into the parking lot of Palm Beach High school, Pelagia backed into a parking space close to the main road. Turning the key out of Betsy's ignition, Pelagia noticed a bright, hot pink color flash in her rear view mirror. Turning around in the driver's seat, she noticed an obnoxious, blinding pink Volkswagen beetle with a pink leather interior taking up two spaces parked behind her. Lifting her upper lip in disgust at the site, she got out of her car, grabbing her backpack with her. Slamming the car door, she locked up Betsy and started cautiously making her way to the school.

_Great, that stupid beetle means that Aleesha and Sara have returned to school._ Pelagia thought.

_Dang, and I had so hoped that an angry Parisian would have run them over during their summer trip to France. _ An old, red trucked slowly rolled through the parking lot several aisles over from where Pelagia stood. Ducking behind a black escalade, she peaked around its tail light, making sure that the rusty truck, which held the school's aggressive parking lot attendant, turned the corner to patrol the other side of the school before she continued on.

_Ugh, that was too close. I have to be more careful, can't let Sharlene catch me out here when I'm supposed to be in class. _Arriving to the secluded side door, she rushed to it and pounded furiously until a student passing by with a bathroom pass noticed the racket.

_God, why do they even bother locking these side doors? It's not like some crazy terrorist is going to come busting through and start making demands! Only snotty rich kids go to this school..not including moi.. _The tall boy strolled to the door, taking his time. Pelagia anxiously glanced around, tapping her foot impatiently, looking to make sure that Sharlene wasn't hiding behind one of the buttonwood shrubs that sat on either side of the door, just waiting to sink her teeth into an unsuspecting student. Finally, the boy pushed open the door, and Pelagia slipped in quietly, muttering thanks and reached into the side pocket of her backpack to retrieve her class schedule. Unfolding the paper, she glanced down, but only saw letters floating wildly around the page. Growling in irritation, she forced herself to take a deep breath and concentrate. Finally, the letters seemed to settle down and return to their rightful place. Reading the schedule sheet, she came to a nasty conclusion.

"God dammit! No! Why did I get Mr. Peterson for first hour English!!" Pelagia shouted to herself. A mother and her young child came out of the office just as Pelagia voiced her displeasure of her situation to the world. The mother scowled at the girl, and covered her young son's ears as she herded him out of the school. Heaving a great sigh, Pelagia stuffed the paper into her pocket and started walking to room 213. Taking the stairs 2 at a time, she arrived to the second floor of the school and sped walk down the hall until she stopped in front of the door that read 213 at the top panel. Turning the door knob, Pelagia stepped into the room and suddenly had a personal audience of 29 students, plus one ornery teacher.

"Ms. Taylor, take a seat." Mr. Peterson sneered at the girl. Rolling her eyes, Pelagia walked over to the back of the room to the only available seat. Sitting down, she then noticed to her horror that "the terrible two" as she liked to call them, Sara and Aleesha, were sitting right next to her. Both of the girls grinned nastily at Pelagia, anticipating the next 45 minutes of class together with glee. Scowling at them, Pelagia looked away and began to listen to Mr. Peterson's ramblings about the unspoken undertone in the play Macbeth. Soon 20 minutes had passed, and Pelagia couldn't stop tapping her foot, and stretching out her limbs; she was well past her limit of being able to sit still and pay attention, like a "good student."

_Man I am so bored!_ Pelagia thought. She was interrupted by a drawn out complaint from a boy who sat near her.

"Stop! Leave me alone!" he hissed at Aleesha and Sara. The boy had thick glasses that slid down his pointed, crooked nose, and was rather scrawny.

"Or what're you gonna do? Be a little tattletale? You owe us twerp!" Aleesha leaned forward and grabbed the small boy by the front of his shirt; twisting the fabric in her fist. Pulling him to her, she whispered aggressively in a hushed voice only inches away from his face as Sara looked on, muffling her laughter with her hands.

"If you don't do this for us, we're gonna make your life a living hell." The boy's eyes widened in terror at the realization of what the school's two most popular girls could do to him. It was at that point Pelagia had enough.

"Why don't the two of you shut up?!" Pelagia hissed at the twins of mean. The two girls' heads swiveled simultaneously to Pelagia in a way that reminded her of the two Siamese cats from Lady and the Tramp.

"_Ew..Creepy.." _Pelagia thought, but was brought back to reality when the other twin began stirring up trouble.

"Why don't you mind your own business Pegleg." Sara snarled back. The two sisters began laughing at the nickname they had for Pelagia and gave each other a high five. Pelagia glanced at Mr. Peterson, making sure he was still buzzing about Lady Macbeth and how she convinced her husband to kill the king before turning to retaliate.

"Why don't you two skanks leave him alone and do your own dirty work! God you're as ugly as you are lazy!" The sisters narrowed their eyes at Pelagia. The thin boy named Matt smiled his thanks to Pelagia, to whom Pelagia smiled back.

_Why do they always go for the nice ones? Why couldn't they go for someone mean? At least they'd be evenly matched._ Pelagia thought.

"At least we look half decent when we come to school! I can't believe your dad lets you leave the house looking like-" Aleesha paused to rake Pelagia up and down with her beady eyes, lifting her lip in disgust, "-like that." She spat. Sara joined in.

"Maybe if your mom hadn't been stupid and decided to go and get herself killed, someone would have properly taught you how to dress." Sara chimed in. The two nasty girls huddled together, muffling their cries of laughter with the palms of their hands. Pelagia felt her nostrils flare and her adrenaline increase tenfold at the mention of her mother in such a disrespectful manner. Shooting up from her desk, she shouted down at the two girls, who jumped at the action, not anticipating it.

"You don't have the privilege to even speak my mother's name, let alone sully her reputation!" Suddenly, Pelagia noticed she had the attention of the entire class and one pissed off teacher once again.

"Pelagia Taylor! Since you seem to find gossiping so much more important than the works of Shakespeare, why don't you start first in the class reading of Macbeth, act III!" Mr. Peterson barked. Pelagia scowled at her teacher and slowly took her seat again, opening her book to page 67. Looking at the page, it looked like a whirlpool of letters. Pelagia breathed in deeply and tried to concentrate on the book that lay on her desk, staring back at her. Hearing her teacher clear his throat, she lost her concentration. Looking up from the tattered classroom book, she saw Mr. Peterson standing at the front of the room with his arms crossed, along with 29 other faces, all whom had twisted around in their seats to get a good look at what was taking her so long.

"We're waiting, Ms. Taylor." Mr. Peterson rumbled. Pelagia stared back down at her book and started concentrating again, remembering the tips that her tutor had given her when it came to deciphering different words and letters. Finally, the letters seemed to begin making a little sense, and so Pelagia proceeded on with reading the passage.

"Thou ha…hast it…"

"Der der der!" Aleesha stuttered out loudly, interrupting Pelagia. The whole class roared with laughter.

"God Pegleg! Can't you even read correctly? Or can you only stutter out words? Remember! Sound it out! Th-the c-c-cat in th-the ha-ha-hattttt." Sara purposely said in a demeaning tone. The class room filled with laughter again. Pelagia felt her face turn red with embarrassment. She looked around the room, desperate to see if anyone would come to her defense, as she had for Matt. Seeing no one, she looked to Matt himself, and to her dismay she saw him laughing loudly, and not even trying to hide it. Finally, she glanced to Mr. Peterson, desperate to see if he would put a stop to it all. Even worse, he seemed to be smirking, staring straight at her; clearly taking pleasure in the situation.

_That's it! I'm out of this hell hole!_ Throwing her book in her bookbag, Pelagia stood up and stomped out of the room. Running down the stairs and hall, then out the side door of the school, she continued running until she got to Betsy. Slamming her backpack down on the ground, she pulled out her car keys from her pocket and unlocked Betsy. Grabbing her bag and sliding into her car, she started Betsy up, but suddenly she heard a car honk. Looking up from the ignition, she saw a rust bucket of a truck that belonged to no other then Sharlene, blocking her in. She smirked at Pelagia.

"Well, Well Pelagia, we meet again. Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, you're coming with me."

"Go to hell Sharlene!" Pelagia snarled, putting Betsy in reverse and slamming on the gas. Betsy roared to life and took off, flying straight into the well manicured pink bug that belonged to Aleesha and Sara. Metal screamed against metal, and smoke started streaming out from under Betsy's spinning back tires as Pelagia urged her to push the irritating bug out of the way. Soon enough, Pelagia had moved the bug with Betsy's back bumper and backed out of her parking spot; eventually stopping to put Betsy into drive. Glancing in her rear view mirror, a wide smile graced her face as she took in the heap of pink, sparkling metal that used to be the car of the terrible twins. Looking back to Sharlene, she savored the look of naked disbelief she had. Flashing her a bright, toothy smile, she sent an air kiss to Sharlene in a manner that matched a girl who had just won a beauty pageant.

"Bye Sharlene!" and with Pelagia's parting words, she slammed down on Betsy's accelerator and tore out of Palm Beach High's parking lot; off to Wellington to visit the only friends she had.


	4. Chapter 3

Here's the REAL chapter 3! Lol sorry, I know I said at the last update that it was chapter 3, when it was really chapter 2.

I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original characters, Pelagia Taylor, and Steve Gufford. Though there really is a Ravenwood stable in Wellington, FL, so that name most definitely DOES NOT belong to me.

Oh and I wanted to mention something. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the positive reviews and enthusiasm that I've received for writing this story. The more positive feedback I receive, the more motivated I am to update sooner. So, Thanks again! :D

And now, onto chapter 3!

* * *

Pulling up to Ravenwood stable, Pelagia smiled at the sight that greeted her. Over a dozen horses excitedly pranced and ran in their fields; their tails held high at seeing the return of one of their friends.

_Pelagia!_ A dark grey Holsteiner called to her mentally, pawing at his paddock gate; eager to spend time with one of his favorite humans. Giggling at the horse's eagerness, she greeted him in return.

"Hello Ferdinand" She patted the huge gelding firmly on his neck. Ferdinand nickered happily and responded back to her.

"_Can we go riding today? Please?!"_ sounding more like a little kid than a well seasoned show horse. Pelagia laughed in delight and opened the gate, untangling his lead rope that was previously wrapped on the fence that lined his paddock. Ferdinand waited until Pelagia attached the lead and then pranced in place next to her and she walked him into the barn, to which Pelagia noticed with relief that she had it all to herself. The last thing she needed was people questioning her as to why she wasn't in school.

"_Well? What are we doing today?"_ The big grey looked down at her as they both walked into the barn, his great hooves creating a rhythmic clomping sound on the hard cement. Pelagia smiled to herself, realizing how much his positive personality brightened the days she was able to come and see him. Her ability to understand horses was another little tidbit that she kept a secret. She didn't think the owners of the magnificent beasts would take too kindly to her going around saying she could understand their prized pets. It would most likely result in her no longer having the freedom to ride the beautiful animals when she pleased. Pelagia hooked Ferdinand up to the cross ties in the aisle, and walked into the tack room to retrieve a curry comb, a brush and a hoof pick.

"Well, I thought we could practice doing some passages and pirouettes. Does that sound good to you?" she shouted to the horse from within the tack room. The horse whinnied in reply

_Yeah! I think I've gotten better at it too since the last time we rode together!_

"Sounds fantastic!" Pelagia returned with her supplies, and with a few treats in her pocket as a surprise for Ferdinand, but the intelligent creature was able to sniff out the reward before she could even tell him.

"Are those Paddock Cakes?!" Ferdinand leaned in close and started nudging Pelagia's pockets. Pelagia laughed and pushed his nose away, wagging her finger.

"Uh-uh Ferdie! Let me brush you a little first before you get your treat." If a horse could pout, Ferdinand would be doing just that at the moment. Pelagia felt the horse's disappointment and displeasure at being forced to wait course through her body. He snorted in a begrudging way.

_Oh fine…_Pelagia smiled once more, scratching him on his favorite spot on his neck until he pursed his lips in delight.

"Thanks for your patience Ferdinand." Soon, Pelagia had finished brushing and picking his hooves, then sat the Courbette saddle over his fluorescent colored saddle pad. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the horse treats and held them on her flat palm under Ferdinand's mouth. The grey gelding quickly sucked up the treats, similar to a vacuum, and immediately started munching away, as happy as a clam.

_Mmm, tasty!_ The horse told her. Pelagia attached the girth belt to the saddle and tightened it up, then waited until the horse had finished his treats before putting on his bridle. Pulling the reins over his head, she headed outside to the outdoor arena; Ferdinand at her side. Arriving to the mounting block, Pelagia realized something.

_Crap, I forgot my helmet. Oh well, just this once I'll ride without it._ Pelagia had always been a stickler for safety when it came to riding, especially when she saw a girl a few seasons back that had been dragged in a grand prix competition by her mount who was normally cool and collected.

_As wonderful as horses are, sometimes instinct becomes too strong to ignore, and then they stop thinking, not realizing that they are hurting their rider._ Pelagia decided to warn Ferdinand that she did not have her helmet with her as she was getting ready to mount into the saddle.

"Ferdie, I don't have my helmet today, so try extra hard today to concentrate on your surroundings and be on your best behavior." The horse snorted indignantly,

_Pelagia! You know I'm always on my best behavior!_ Pelagia laughed at his angry retort, and quickly hopped on top of the horse; scratching his neck in an apologetic manner.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to make sure that you knew I was without protection for my cranium; a part of my body that is very dear to me."

_Well, now I know, so let's get down to business!___Ferdinand walked away from the mounting block and through the entrance to the ring. Nudging Ferdinand into a trot, Pelagia sighed with delight as feelings of relaxation and happiness filled her to the core. Holding his reins a little tighter, she pushed him forward with her legs, and soon the gelding was in a working trot. After 10 minutes of trotting, Pelagia signaled Ferdinand into a canter, and soon the two were floating around the area, merged as one. Sighing to herself, Pelagia conversed with Ferdinand.

"I wish we could do this every day Ferdie." The horse's ears turned back towards her.

_So do I, Pelagia. It's so fun having you around!_

Many hours later…. 

Pelagia drove out of the entrance to Ravenwood stable after waving good bye to her equine friends, and merged onto the freeway. Driving down the highway, Pelagia rolled down her windows, enjoying the perfumed breeze that fluttered through her hair, and the beauty of the setting sun that cast a rainbow of colors across the sky. Yes, the drive home after a day of riding horses is amongst one of the best feelings one could have.

Arriving at her step-father's home, she noticed his camero was parked crookedly in the drive. Sighing, Pelagia parked Betsy on the side of the street.

_Steve is already drunk? But the sun has only just set! I need to be careful..._Hearing a loud rumbling sound, she looked down at her stomach, rubbing her belly to try to soothe the powerful ache.

"God I'm starving. If I'm lucky, Steve will be passed out on the couch, and I won't even have to make him dinner, then I can sneak some granola bars and go up to my room to hole myself in for the rest of the night." She muttered to herself, mentally developing a plan on how to go about her evening with the least amount of trouble she could get herself into. Quietly entering the home, she found it to be eerily silent, except for the low buzz of the news coming from the 80 inch flat screen T.V. Peering into the spacious living room, she saw Steve sprawled out on the fully reclined lazy boy; loud, unbearable snoring coming from his mouth which was hanging open. Sneering in disgust, she turned her attention to satisfying her hunger pangs. Creeping into the kitchen, she opened a drawer which revealed a Costco sized box full of nature valley peanut butter granola bars. Feeling saliva fill up her mouth in anticipation of her feast, she grabbed several bars, and quietly pushed the drawer shut with her hip. Tip toeing towards the stairs, she began to make her way up when she a loud belch come from behind her. Pelagia froze.

"Got a call today from the school; they said you weren't there...So where were you today girl?" Pelagia slowly turned around and saw Steve stumbling up from the chair. Averting her eyes, Pelagia responded.

"Yeah, um, I wasn't feeling that well, so I came home for a little while, and I just got back from the store with some medicine." Steve chuckled, and slowly approached her.

"Stop lying to me girl. You know how I hate it when you think you're smarter than me." Steve growled, slurring the last couple words of his threat. Roughly grabbing her shoulders, he shook Pelagia as if warning her what could happen if he caught her lying. Twisting out of his grasp, she stepped back, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not lying!" Pelagia clenched her granola bars and felt them crumble in their wrappers, but truthfully felt terror grip her heart due to the dangerous game she played. Steve growled in irritation, his breath leaking into Pelagia's face. Pelagia withheld a dry heave, and turned her head away to avoid the stench of stale alcohol.

"Your grades are gonna slip, and you'll end up as nothing. We both know how this will turn out. Maybe you should start poll dancing now so you can get ahead of the game." Steve burped out, smiling at the images that his suggestion produced in his head. Pelagia ground her teeth, saying nothing. Instead she dropped the granola bars that had been crushed in her palms and ran outside. As she sprinted away, she heard Steve stagger partially out the front door and shout out to her.

"You can't run from your future! It's your destiny to become nothing! Just like your whore of a mother!" with tears blinding her sight, she booked out of the ritzy subdivision and to the only place that could give her solace now, the ocean. After a 5 minute sprint, she could already smell the salt in the air, and soon she saw the ocean in plain view. Skittering down the hill of sand, she slowed as she came within several feet of the calm tide, starting to feel her initial anger and grief at what her step father told her settle and fade away. Finding a nice, secluded area, Pelagia sat on the warm sand of the Palm Beach coast line. Her green eyes followed the motion of the tide. In, out, in, out. She smiled as the warm salt water tickled her toes, and she began to recollect what had occurred earlier that day. Her brows furrowed as she thought about her step father sneering at her about her grades starting to slip, that she would end up as nothing more than a common street whore or strip girl if she continued to not take school seriously. Didn't he understand that her dyslexia and ADHD severely handicapped her? That having a C average was not bad despite these crippling attributes of hers? Probably. Did he care?

_Hell no_. She smirked at her own sarcastic tone, continuing to enviously watch the water that lay as far as the eye could see, twisting and churning; doing whatever it wished. Pelagia sighed softly, yearning for that kind of freedom. She didn't even realize she was crying until her vision momentarily blurred and she felt a warm trickle of tears fall onto her lap. Instinctively heaving a soft sob, she angrily rubbed her eyes and reminded herself that tears wouldn't change anything. Tears won't make her life happier or raise her grades, nor increase her chances of getting into a decent college, so there was no point to them. Suddenly, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Pelagia leaped to her feet from her seated position in the sand and spun around to see a man wearing bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, smiling at her.

"Hello my dear," the man with dashing green eyes and jet black hair said.

"It's nearly midnight, and yet you're here weeping by your lonesome, won't your parents be worried about you?" as the stranger posed his question to her his eyes widened slightly, as if producing evidence of his genuine concern. After getting over her moment of awe for the handsome wanderer that seemingly came out of thin air, Pelagia barked a laugh.

"Well, seeing as my mom is six feet under, and I've never met my real father, I don't think they mind a bit." The man's eye brows grew heavy in compassion and the small smile that had been on his lips, surrounded by his well trimmed beard, instantly faded; not expecting such a negative retort.

"Oh, my..I'm..I'm so sorry for your loss..Do you not have any family at all?" Pelagia stared at the man for a moment, debating on how to answer his question.

_Do I dare be straightforward? Or should I sugar coat it all?_ She chewed her lower lip as she rolled these thoughts around in her mind over and over again. But before she could come to a decision, the stranger interrupted her.

"Well, how about this, why don't we start off with introductions first? Maybe then the words you are so obviously searching for will come easier." The man said, green eyes twinkling as he regained his smile back. Pelagia blushed and looked away; she had no idea that she had been so obvious; like an open book that this man could thumb through and read at his leisure. The handsome stranger made the first move, stepping forward and extending his hand.

"I'm Poseidon, and you are?.." Pelagia extended her hand to match his more out of reaction than actually wanting to get to know him. After all, she still had her suspicions about him. His hand engulfed hers, and instantly Pelagia was overwhelmed with a tingling sensation that sped its way through her body, instantly warming her. Immediately she felt her guard drop, and oddly knew that he was a safe presence. Shyly glancing up at him through her long, dark eye lashes, she murmured a name that only someone with superior hearing could have discerned. The man allowed a large, dazzling grin to spread across his face at the mention of her name.

"Pelagia!? Well, that is quite a pretty name for a pretty girl." Pelagia allowed a small smile to spread across her lips, the tears that she had just previously shed still glistened in her eyes, catching the moonlight and making them seem to glow a light green.

_If I could have had a chance at knowing my real father, I would have wanted it to be someone like him,_ she thought. Her silent wish was interrupted by a fierce, cool wind blowing through the beach that seemed to pass right through her. She shivered violently, and silently cursed to herself for not bringing a light-weight jacket. The man named Poseidon released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, turning her towards the street and making his way deeper in land with her at his side.

"It's not always safe for young girls to be out alone on the beach so late. Go home my dear and come back when you are not so vulnerable." At his last word, the arm he so affectionately had placed over her shoulders disappeared with a wisp of sea air. Pelagia turned around, perturbed by the last statement he told her, but saw no one there. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she began to question herself. Had she hallucinated it all? But glanced down at the tracks that her feet left in the sand, noticing another pair of foot prints that had walked with her own. And then she realized something; he said that his name was Poseidon!

_As in God of the sea?_ She swiveled her head around, scouring each nook and cranny of the beach with her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Finding nothing, she turned back towards the street; putting her sandals back on, and started walking away from the beach, heeding Poseidon's advice. One thing was definite, if she ever met this Poseidon again, she needed to get some answers about who he was. She smiled to herself at the thought of him being a Greek god. And somehow, she knew that he would run into her again.

But unknowingly to Pelagia, a shadow followed her back to her home, eager to see what could have caused her to flee to the beach in such a sad state of mind.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original characters, Pelagia Taylor, and Steve Gufford.

Thanks for all the great reviews! I love how you guys are getting into the story, so that's why I pushed myself today to write this update :D. Sorry if it's a little shorter than usual, I promise that the next update will be longer. Enjoy!

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Poseidon POV

Sticking close to the shadows, Poseidon's gaze followed the girl's movements as she slunk back towards her residence. He sighed to himself in irritation.

"What am I doing…" His hand went to his face; pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger; squinting his eyes closed. "Why should I concern myself with one mortal; one whom I have only known for barely an hour."

_But this girl is so…familiar. Who does she remind me of?_ Poseidon started to mentally tally off the women he had seen in the past years, wondering if she was one of them. Then he realized something.

_No, she is far too young, and I would remember her. And truth be told, I haven't been with many mortals in the past years._ He sighed as he thought of the Queen who had unexpectantly stolen his heart; Sally Jackson. Half reminiscing of her and carefully tailing Pelagia, he smiled as her image popped into his head. Suddenly, he stopped his pursuit as he saw the girl skitter up to a home, enter it quietly and then fasten the door. He skulked towards the house, peeking into a window just as the girl walked into the living room. There he set eyes on a middle aged gentleman with a bulging stomach and nasty demeanor to him. Pelagia eyed the man warily as she explained that she wasn't going to leave the house anymore that night, and that she was sorry for running out; her voice flat and devoid of any emotion besides that of defeat. The man raised his voice at her, shaking his fist in her face and causing her to cower slightly, though the light that glinted in her eyes still held some pride, and what was the other emotion there, fury? Poseidon couldn't help but feel that this girl would normally have a reactive temper to someone treating her so awfully, and yet she was holding herself back for some reason.

Poseidon felt himself grow slightly hot with anger at the treatment of the girl he already felt a connection with. Raking his hand through his hair, he reeled in his anger as he felt the Earth shake slightly below him, reacting to his unhappiness.

_Relax, relax, this girl is a nobody, nothing to you, just relax._ Poseidon silently chanted in his head, though he knew he was lying to himself. He forced himself to focus in on the interaction once more. The man who he learned was named "Steve" warned that he would throw her out next time she was defiant, and finally banished her to her bedroom. Poseidon frowned at the man's threat to whom must have been his daughter.

_It is obvious that she is not trying to intentionally cause trouble in this situation, so why threaten the child so harshly?_ The girl spun and raced up the stairs, and a moment later Poseidon heard a door slam. The man sighed and turned away, looking at a picture frame that sat on a table. He picked it up and cradled it in his hands, peering into it intently. Poseidon craned his neck to get a look at who was in the picture, and gasped when he saw who it was.

"Erica…." He could recognize that dazzling white smile and those doe eyes anywhere. Steve's thumb gently caressed the glass that was above her cheek. Poseidon closed his eyes as he remembered meeting her on that warm March morning in 1988 by the sea in Florida. She had been in a light blue bikini and was playing volley ball with some friends. He could still picture her glowing blonde hair in the sun light that flowed in the sea breeze, and how she had been the first mortal woman before he met Sally Jackson that made him stutter and generally anxious for her approval of him. But then one day she disappeared, and though he searched and scoured the area, he couldn't find her again. It took him several years before he could move on, and convince himself that it was because she no longer wanted to see him. Luckily at that point he met Sally Jackson, another Queen among women, which helped him get past his disappointment of losing Erica. He was struck out of his flashback as he heard the man in the living room utter a question to the picture.

"Why. Why did you make me do it?" Poseidon cocked his head to the side in confusion. Was it regret he heard in the man's voice? He wasn't sure.

"It didn't have to end this way…If you had only listened to me…I wouldn't have had to of taught you a lesson." The man's voice took on a sinister tone, and Poseidon uneasily waited for more details; feeling dread fill up his entire being.

"_What did he do to Erica?!" _Poseidon's hands gripped the Brazilian star flower tree that hung in front of the window, concealing him from those inside the home.

The man chuckled darkly, and he threw the picture into the wall across the room, causing the frame and glass to shatter.

"Stupid bitch, you thought you could just leave me!? You told me that I wasn't the man that you thought I was, that I had turned into a violent beast. You didn't know anything. And I couldn't let you go, you were mine and mine alone. The only way to keep you from leaving was to put you in a place that you could never leave; a grave…And no one will ever know it but you and me, my sweet." Steve oddly cooed at the pile of broken glass. Poseidon felt nauseous as he realized that not only had this disgusting and crazy mortal killed his beautiful Erica, but now he knew why he felt a connection to Pelagia.

"_Ai Gods…She is my daughter…MY CHILD! Of course! Why else would she be named 'from the sea' in Greek?!"_ He mentally screamed to himself in agony. He watched the revolting being turn out the lights in the living room and go presumably to his bedroom to retire for the night, humming to himself all the way as if the conversation with the photograph had never happened. Poseidon rounded the side of the house, fretful for the safety of his child.

_I must get a glimpse of her again! I need to see that she is OK. She's confined inside this prison with a lunatic who could kill her at the drop of a hat! _He glanced upward to the windows on the second floor, looking for one that had a dim glow of a lamp. Finally finding one directly at the back of the house, he stretched up on his toes; straining to see Pelagia, but no luck, the window was too high. Suddenly, he got an idea. Scouting out the area around him, he concluded that none of the neighbors were awake, and so it would be safe for him to change into his true godly form, which would make him at least 12 feet tall; definitely tall enough to see into his daughter's window. Feeling his body liquefy, seconds later he stood much taller, and was now back in his traditional Greek clothing. Tip-toeing to the window so as not to alert his daughter to his presence, who would think he was some giant stalker, he sneakily peered into the window, and the site that greeted him caused him to calm down somewhat. Pelagia sat on her tiny bed, looking through a photo album. She smiled as the pictures of her and her mother brought back old memories of happier times, and Poseidon found himself smiling along with his child. Suddenly, his mind began to race with questions.

_How has she survived to be 16 in this mad house? Has she encountered any of my brothers' monsters?_ Poseidon halted the ramblings of his brain.

_Those are all questions that are to be answered later. Right now, the most important thing is to get her out of there and into the safety of Camp Half-Blood. _Poseidon stroked his beard thoughtfully as he devised a plan to get Pelagia to safety_. _

_Tomorrow night. I'll come for her then, tell her who she is, and then whisk her away to Camp Half Blood. It shouldn't be too hard, right? _Poseidon looked back to his daughter who was now under the covers of her bed and laying on her side with her back facing him, trying to fall asleep.

_Whatever it takes…I'll make sure she is safe and gets out of here..She at least deserves that much…_Poseidon vowed to himself as he shrunk back down to human size and began to walk back to the ocean, biding his time until tomorrow night. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original characters, Pelagia Taylor, and Steve Gufford.

Here's chapter 5! I love your guys' reviews! It really motivates me to write more! ! And I'll be updating VERY soon with the next chapter since it's almost completely written.

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Pelagia's eyes squinted open as she heard the irritating beep of her alarm clock ringing in her ears. Flinging her arm to the side of the bed, she slapped the wood of her rickety lamp table several times before succeeding in smacking the off button.

_Ugh…I really need to get an iHome, this is definitely a Beyonce kind of morning. I think blasting dangerously in love would wake me up much better than that stupid beeping noise. _She hoisted herself out of bed, and groggily stumbled down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Afterwards, she leaned into the bathtub and turned on the hot water facet, then pulled out the lever to start the shower. She sighed in satisfaction as steam started fogging up the mirror, but noticed how for some reason it seemed to take on a life of its own as the steam started slowly swirling around her head.

_No, no I'm just imagining it…_ She peeled off her pajama shorts and tank top and stepped into the water. She grabbed her Suave strawberry shampoo and poured some on top of her head, then started lathering her hair up. Suddenly, she felt a tingling sensation on her abdomen and ribs. Glancing down, she gasped and leapt back towards the tiled wall. Her mouth hung open in shock as she stared down at little water figurines of horses, sea stars and merpeople dancing across her body. Suddenly, she heard a melodic whispering through the steam to her.

"**The sea king has missed his daughter all these years, but no longer will he wait as she sheds her tears. Soon young one you shall be called home, home is where the heart is as we all know. Our lord will take you to a land safe and well, far away from your own personal hell. Things are to change, that is to be sure, so brace yourself young one and have no concerns****.**"

_What the fuck is going on? Am I going crazy? _Pelagia frantically thought as she all but flew out of the shower with soap suds flying everywhere**. **She skidded on the tile, and latched onto the closest thing to her to keep from falling; the shower curtain. To Pelagia's dismay she lost her balance anyways, and slid to the floor, dragging the shower curtain down with her. Pushing the heavy plastic sheet off of her, she stiffly rose to her feet once more and rubbed a sore spot on her elbow which had taken the heaviest blow.

"What the hell is going on up there? I need your ass down here in 5 minutes pronto!" Steve screamed up the stairs.

"Nothing! I just dropped my shampoo, that's all…" Pelagia shouted back, rolling her eyes. Bubbles dripped down her nose, and she realized that she still had soap suds all over her head and body.

_Shit…I need to rinse off…OK…I'll just make this quick. _After reattaching the fluorescent colored shower curtain, she slowly pulled it back, suspiciously eyeing the blue tiled walls.

_Hmmm…I don't see anything…Maybe I was just freaking out cause I haven't eaten anything in forever._ she sorrowfully glanced down at her stomach, which at that precise moment made itself known through a snarled rumble. Cautiously inching back into the shower stall, Pelagia rinsed off as quickly as she could and scuttled out of the stall once more, snatching the pink towel that hung off the towel rack with her. Fluffing her hair with it, she wrapped the little pink towel around her body as she opened the door into the hallway. Peaking down the stairs, she saw Steve sitting in front of the big screen with a beer in hand. Grimacing, Pelagia continued to her bedroom.

_Good thing the coast is clear. Now Just to make it through the rest of the morning… _opening up a drawer, Pelagia pulled out a light weight sweater along with a pair of well worn jeans after remembering what she heard on the T.V in the lower level of the home.

_It's going to be only 65 today…That's freezing!_ Pelagia shivered at that thought as she slipped on the grey jeans and sweater. Looking at the time on her alarm clock she flung her bag over her back and raced down the stairs. Landing on the bottom step, Steve grunted in acknowledgement of her presence. Pelagia walked into the kitchen and looked at the set up of what Steve wanted for breakfast. Her eyes widened in astonishment.

_7 eggs? With 10 pieces of bacon, 5 sausages and 4 pieces of toast? Talk about a heart attack on a bun! Not that it would be all that bad…_Pelagia grinned manically to herself as she began to crack some eggs into the frying pan; envisioning Steve choking on a piece of bacon while clutching his chest.

_That would be a most fitting way for Steve to go…_Pelagia bit her tongue as her silent laughter began to make itself known. Forcing herself to think of other things as she cooked, she was reminded once more of her hunger. Feeling her mouth fill up with saliva as she cooked Steve's breakfast, she became excited as she realized she could fix herself a feast fit for a king once Steve left for work.

_I could cook myself a stack of pancakes as high as the ceiling, or make—_a loud belch echoed in the kitchen as Steve entered the room; interrupting her breakfast musings. Adding some bacon to the frying pan, Pelagia kept an eye on Steve's movements; making sure to know exactly where he was at all times.

"Aren't you done fixin' my breakfast yet girl?" Steve asked. Pelagia growled softly to herself in irritation.

"Only if you want to eat your breakfast raw today Steve."

"Watch your mouth you stupid child.." Steve barked at Pelagia. Pelagia kept silent as she walked over to the toaster to retrieve the slightly burnt toast; smearing loads of butter on each slice.

_Keep quiet, don't say anything…_ she told herself silently. She stepped over to the stove again to see if the sausages were done. Flipping them over, she hissed in pain as a few splatters of hot grease shot out from the pan and onto the pale skin of her wrist. Steve rolled his eyes at her injury.

"Stop your belly aching! You always were a complainer and a weakling!" Steve paused to guzzle his beer. Pelagia bit her tongue to prevent the temptation of retaliating back from overcoming her.

_Stupid pig…I hope you choke on these sausages…._Pelagia bitterly thought as she served up the last of the food onto a massive dinner plate. Warily looking at the platter that was heaped up with fried eggs, bacon, toast and sausage, she silently prayed to whatever Gods she could think of that the carefully piled food would not fall all over the floor as she carried it to the table. Gently gripping the underside of the plate, Pelagia tip-toed to the table and set the plate in front of Steve, who was almost drooling in anticipation. Sighing with relief, she noticed Steve staring at the plate with a displeased look on his face.

_Oh fuck my life…what did I do now?_ Pelagia thought to herself, frustrated and slightly nervous at what was to come. Steve whipped his head to look at her, his beady little eyes piercing into her like daggers.

"DID YOU EXPECT ME TO EAT LIKE SOME BARN ANIMAL! WHERE IS MY FORK!" Steve bellowed. Pelagia smirked ever so slightly at the first part of his complaint, despite her effort to have her face remain emotionless.

_It would be quite like him to just shove his face into the place and start gobbling down all the food. He already does that, just with a fork._ Steve noticed the ever so slightly pleased look in her face, and from there his rage took off. Stumbling to his feet as fast as he could muster, he raised his hand above his head, preparing to strike Pelagia in the face. Pelagia cowered slightly, waiting for the blow to befall her, but nothing came. She dared to take a peek from the protection of her arms, and saw Steve slowly lowering his arm with a dazed look in his face. Taking his seat at the table once more, he scooted himself in, clearing his voice.

"You ain't even worth my time this morning, so just go get my fucking fork…" he angrily muttered at her, only staring straight ahead once more. Pelagia scurried over to the drawer that held the utensils and quickly pulled one out, walking back over to the table to hand it to him. He roughly snatched the fork from her hand and proceeded to shovel an egg with a piece of sausage into his mouth. Looking back up at Pelagia with his cheeks full of food just like a chipmunk, he glared at her.

"What the hell are you looking at? Get out of my sight…" he growled. Pelagia glowered back down at Steve, and slowly walked out of the kitchen back up to her room to bide her time until she could eat something, silently thankful for the grace of god that was hangovers.

_I know if it wasn't because he was still hung over, I would have a dislocated nose right now.._ Walking back into her tiny room and softly shutting the door, Pelagia remembered that she still had a granola bar stuffed away in her purse from a couple days ago. Diving for her purse, she nearly ripped off the zipper in her almost animalistic desperation for food. Taking a gargantuan bite, she moaned in delight as if it were the best thing she had ever eaten in her life. Quickly gobbling down the fruit bar, she smiled with glee as she heard Steve's car screech out from the driveway.

"Breakfast time!" Pelagia sing-sung to herself as she skipped back down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, she pulled out some pancake batter along with a griddle. Shaking the bisquick jug, she poured out several blobs onto the griddle, feeling her mouth water up as she smelt their deliciousness when they started bubbling up on the hot pan. As she poured the last pancake onto the griddle, she noticed something was missing.

_Hmmmm…_ Pelagia hummed to herself as she stared at the pan, trying to figure out what the missing element was. Then it hit her.

"Aha!" she grabbed the bisquick jug once more and carefully poured out two little circles above the main parts of all the pancakes. Standing back, Pelagia admired her work; a great big smile gracing her face.

"I love micky mouse pancakes!" she laughed with delight as she remembered how her mother used to make them for her. Flipping the pancakes over, she glanced at the clock to see what time it was. 7:15.

"ughhhh I'll never make it to school on time now!" turning back to her pancakes, she noticed they were now at the peak of perfection. Grabbing a plate from the cabinet overhead, she picked up her spatula and carefully flipped the micky pancakes onto the plate.

"I need to leave soon for school..." She told herself as she slammed the fridge door with her hip; her hands full with all sorts of toppings for her pancakes. Setting them all down on the table, she gazed at the array of seasonings.

"hmmm…I think I'll go with chocolate chips, syrup and butter. Then let's see what the day brings me." Pouring the toppings over the stack, Pelagia dug into the tower of 8 fluffy pancakes.

Hey guys! I know this chapter didn't have the scene with Poseidon taking Pelagia away from Wellington, FL, but I promise that will be in the next chapter and I will update soon!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I DO NOT own anything from the Percy Jackson series, only my own original characters, Pelagia Taylor, and Steve Gufford.

Here's chapter 6! **IT IS RATED M**. it's my longest chapter yet! Over 3,000 words! enjoy!

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Driving past Palm Beach high, Pelagia couldn't help but notice how the school loomed over her, assuring her a day's worth of miseries and boredom. Reminiscing back to the smashed up pink bug, she cringed as she thought about getting jumped by Sara and Aleesha for what she did.

"Well, those skanky bitches did get what they had coming to them…" she muttered to herself, smirking as she imagined their reaction to their precious car, screeching and raving to their boyfriends over the injustice of the world. Soon arriving to the drive of the school, an idea popped in Pelagia's head.

"To hell with this, I'm going to the mall! I deserve a day off! I'm already super late for school anyways, so why not!" Pelagia smiled to herself as she passed the entrance to the school and instead turned left onto Stingray avenue. Finally, she made a right on South Rosemary Avenue. Driving down the one way street, Pelagia marveled at all the wonderful shops of the mall named City Place, and pulled into a parking structure.

Feeling a giddiness come over her, she had to suppress the urge to skip down to the walkway of the outdoor mall lest she stick out like a sore thumb among the rich snobs who normally shopped there.

"Stay cool Pelagia, don't need any extra attention today, especially since you're supposed to be in school right now…" she whispered to herself. Turning the corner, she found her familiar stores lined up together on either side of the walkway. Immediately, her jade eyes cued in on Banana Republic, and she made a B-line for the store. Approaching the doors just as they were being unlocked for the day, a woman in her 20s blocked Pelagia's path with a smile that was so perfect that Pelagia was sure her teeth were capped.

"Hello my dear, how are you today?" the woman gushed. Pelagia nodded in affirmation of her good mood, producing a tight lipped smile.

"Can I help you find something today? Oh you must see our new fall line! We just stocked up our shelves this morning. We have a pair of vintage looking jeans and a chemise that would look absolutely DARLING on you!" the woman wrapped her long fingers around Pelagia's wrists, tugging her towards the outfits. Pelagia grimaced at the woman's bold move, and stepped back, trying to pull her arms away from the irritating lady.

"Please! Come with me!" the woman smiled again. Suddenly, between her perfect incisors, Pelagia noticed a forked tongue peek out. Then as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Peering in slightly closer in confusion, Pelagia noticed that the woman's baby blue eyes had darkened into a pumpkin orange, and the pupil had thinned out into an elongated shape, similar to a serpant's eye. Pelagia's eyes widened in horror at what she witnessed.

_Run away, Pelagia. Get out of there! _Pelagia heard a male voice whisper frantically to her in her brain.

Screeching at the changes in the woman, Pelagia immediately ripped her arms out of the woman's clawed grasp, then turned tail and ran as fast as her legs could carry her .

"Wait! Child of the sea! Wait! Come with me!" the snarled gasp came from behind her as Pelagia sprinted away. Running behind a wall of the parking structure, Pelagia pressed her back up against its cement side, panting and straining to catch her breath. Her eyes darting around her, she struggled to make sense of what was happening to her.

"I must be going crazy….something's wrong with me…Oh my God what if I'm becoming schizo or something? O.K just breath. Breath and stay calm. You came here to shop, dammit and that's what you're going to do. You're not going to let the stress of living with Steve make you hallucinate anymore. You're going to enjoy yourself today, since you'll probably pay for skipping school later on." Looking more determined than she felt, Pelagia peeked around the corner of the wall, and saw no mutant, giant lizards like she was expecting. Forcing her legs to start walking, she made sure to avoid Banana Republic at all costs and head on to The Gap instead.

….

Later that day as the sun was setting, Pelagia walked back to Betsy with several bags in each hand and a grin on her face, the day's earlier horrors completely forgotten.

"SO glad I took the day off today! Now I have some new clothes to wear, most of my old ones don't fit anymore or have so many holes in them that the school would send me home for wearing "inappropriate attire" as they like to call it. Ppfft, they should send home Aleesha and Sara. Most of the things they wear always flashes parts of their bodies that makes me want to puke."

Stuffing the bags into Betsy's back seat, Pelagia was careful not to crush or wrinkle her new clothes. Getting into the driver's seat, Pelagia pulled out of the parking structure and headed to the only place that could make the day perfect, the place that had always tugged at her heart when she had been away for too long; the ocean.

…

Pulling up to the beach with Betsy, Pelagia got out of the car and bounded down to the beach, running into the ocean. Oddly enough, It was like the ocean welcomed her back as it lapped at her ankles and tickled her toes. She giggled at the ocean's greeting, feeling like she had some kind of connection with it, as she always had for as long as she could remember. Falling on her back in the sand, she looked up at the stars that were just now starting to appear in the sky, identifying the star constellations that her mother had taught her.

"There's the big dipper, and Orion's belt. Now where is Polaris?" she felt her eyes begin to droop from fatigue while she continued to search for Polaris.

"Ah there it is…" she softly murmured to herself as her eyes recognized the star's bright light. Feeling her eyes close, she swore that she heard a strange melody on the breeze that now blew through her hair. Then all fell into darkness as she gave into the comfort of sleep.

…..

Her eyes fluttering open, Pelagia's vision began to clear up when she heard a shout from across the beach

"You!" Pelagia looked in the direction of where the accusing voice came from, and saw to her worse nightmare Steve waddling down the beach towards her. Pelagia's eyes widened with fear.

_How…How could he be here? How did he know that I would be here? GOD I was so stupid to fall asleep!_ Hot, searing panic began to grip her heart as she stumbled to her feet. She tried to make her body work to her advantage by sprinting away from the angry hippo-like male that was stomping her way, but Pelagia found her slender legs stricken with rigor mortis. Shame became another emotion that filled her as she knew that her body had betrayed her, and had given into the fear that she so deeply felt at that moment. Steve closed in on Pelagia, viciously grabbing her upper arm and whipping her closer to him. He leaned in and breathed in her perfume; Pelagia shuddered in disgust and tried to pull away, but Steve painfully tightened his grip on her.

"I knew I'd find you here when you didn't show up at the house to make me dinner! You're always at this fucking beach, staring out at that water! Well now you ain't goin' anywhere, little girl…yer mine…" Steve slurred with a glazed and hungry look in his eyes. Pelagia felt her anger boil over at this statement, causing her to spit in Steve's face, bearing her teeth at him.

"I'll never be yours you fat son of a bitch!" she screamed in his face, feeling her molten anger spill out from within. Wiping the saliva away from between his eyes, Steve tightened his grip on her arm once more and flung her roughly down into the sand. Falling on top of her, Pelagia screamed out as the full force of his weight crushed her small frame.

Steve sneered down at the girl. "I'm gonna show you just how you're mine, and will ALWAYS be mine."

And with those last words, Steve forced his dry, cracked lips onto Pelagia's mouth in the form of a nauseating kiss. Pelagia bit down as hard as she could onto his bottom lip, desperate to escape. Steve pulled away immediately, screaming in pain as blood gushed from his lower lip. Pelagia then swung the heel of her hand into Steve's nose as hard as she could, crushing one side of his pig like snout. Instantly, Steve squealed at the explosion of pain, pushing away from Pelagia while he cradled his face in his hands as more blood spewed from what seemed to be every orifice on his face. Gazing down at her hand in confusion as to how she had exhibited so much power in that one blow, Pelagia snapped back to reality, and took her chance to escape. Crawling away, she didn't get far until Steve had tackled her once more, and had her pinned in the sand. Pelagia shrieked in frustration at his attack and tried to aim a quick kick to his groin, but found that she could not raise her leg to deliver the blow when he was directly on top of her.

"I love lil' 'ellcats like you…." Steve muttered nasally into her neck as she tried to fight him off once more, smearing the blood coming from his nose all over her porcelain skin. Pelagia grimaced in disgust at Steve's now severely injured face and the feeling of warm blood sliding down her neck and chest.

"It makes the prize in the end much more worthwhile." Pelagia then felt something hot and hard poking her thigh through Steve's pant leg. Her eyes widened with fear as she knew exactly what his intention was, and knew that if she didn't fight back with everything she had, that something horrible would happen. Screaming with rage, she struggled to attack back. But the pain from her clawing and biting didn't seem to impact Steve in the least. In the midst of fighting, Steve had gotten a firm hold on her shirt, and at the right moment when Pelagia struggled to catch her breath, ripped the tanktop cleanly from her body. Screeching at how exposed she was, Pelagia desperately tried to cover herself with her arms. Steve moved in closer with a grin on his face, knowing that he had won. However, Pelagia noticed that at that precise moment, a large hand appeared on Steve's shoulder. Steve frowned, and as he peered over his shoulder, he found himself being effortlessly flung about 15 feet across the powder sugar like sand. Gaping, Pelagia looked up as she continued to cover herself, trying to get a better view of her rescuer. When he turned back to her, the moon light finally caught his features. Gasping in shock, she saw it was the man that had met her the night before.

"P-Poseidon?" She squeaked. Poseidon turned around, smiling sadly down at the girl until he heard an enraged shout come from across the beach. Turning back, he saw the pitiful mortal snorting and coughing up sand while struggling to get back up, looking very much like a turtle stuck on its back.

" 'ey you sonavabitch! Come over 'ere and fight me like a man!" Steve shrieked oddly, his nose making him sound like he had the world's worst case of the flu. Poseidon's face took on a frighteningly angry look as he produced a weapon of some kind, but Pelagia couldn't put her finger on what it was.

_Whatever it is, it looks completely ancient_ she thought.

Raising up the weapon to the sky, it began to take on a dangerous sea green glow, as well as the seas grew stormy and dark. The glow then traveled down to Poseidon himself, and Poseidon began to talk in a dangerously low voice that seemed to boom across the beach for miles to come.

"How dare you attack her, you disgusting little insect! Do you know what you could have done!" For the first time that night, Steve's eyes widened in fear at the glowing phenomenon he was witnessing.

"As sufficient punishment, I'm going to give you a personal lesson in what happens when you piss off a God. Most receive a warning, however, I think death will be more appropriate for you." Poseidon's eyes glowed a fatal green as he stared down his enemy. Steve looked horrified.

"You can't kill me! You ain't the law around here!" Poseidon leaned his head back and laughed what must have been the creepiest laugh Pelagia had ever heard at Steve's retort.

"You obviously haven't studied Greek mythology, have you? Enjoy eternity in Tartarus. Say hello to my father for me." and with those ending words, a large blast of green light shot out from Poseidon's weapon and into Steve. Steve burst into ash, which blew almost immediately into the wind. Steve Gufford's mortal remains were no more, and Pelagia wasn't ashamed to admit that she was relieved. Lowering his pitch fork like weapon to the ground, the seas and sky instantly calmed, and Poseidon turned once more to look at his daughter. Taking in his daughter's state of dress and terrified form, he began to unbutton his Hawaiian shirt.

_At least then she won't feel so exposed,_ Poseidon thought as his fingers popped each button out from their holes.

With tears streaming down her face at the thought of what this being was going to do to her if he could blow someone away into ash, Pelagia felt herself begin to hyperventilate, and to her dismay, she felt her resolve crumble.

"Please! Don't! Please don't! No!" she gasped out multiple times, in between the hysterical torrents of tears falling down her face and loud sobs erupting from her chest. Poseidon stopped unbuttoning his parakeet and pineapple embroidered Hawaiian shirt, looking up at her with confusion in his eyes. However, his confusion faded as understanding dawned upon him as to what Pelagia thought he was going to do. A pained look crossed his features, but Pelagia couldn't understand why.

_Why would a rapist feel regret for what he is about to do?_ Her coherent judgment muttered to her, somewhere beneath the panicked, primal shrieks of terror that rattled around in her incoherent thoughts. Poseidon's hands dropped to his sides, and he started slowly walking towards her.

_NO,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,please,no,no,no,please! _Pelagia felt her panicky thoughts chant in her head once more. Poseidon halted his strides once he was in arms length of her. He opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it as he obtained a better look at her torso. Pelagia felt her breathing rate increase once again as she felt Poseidon's gaze rake across her body. She tried to silently talk herself down.

_What is he looking at? What is he going to do to me!_

Poseidon cringed as he took notice of Pelagia's wounds. Some had faded into a bluish green color, while others were fresh, and looked black and swollen. Poseidon felt his anger begin to manifest as he realized that his child had suffered a near life time of abuse and cruelty.

_There are also several bite marks on her neck from where the disgusting mortal had gotten carried away in his attempt to rut with my daughter like some wild animal. And now…she thought that I would actually take advantage of her._ The sea king shuddered at the thought.

_She does not know who you are; that you are her sire. _He reminded himself. He slowly knelt down in front of Pelagia so as to not look so intimidating, and he saw her muscles (or what little muscle she had) tense up; ready to give her what little strength she had left to flee if necessary. Closer now, he noticed how her rib cage painfully stuck out, and silently mourned to himself that he could not get to her sooner, that he did not save her from her fate before things had become so bad.

_When was the last time she had a decent meal? Or did that fat slob take her share of food as well?_ He slowly raised his hand up to her face and laid it on her jaw line; his thumb caressing the soft skin in a reassuring manner. He could feel her pulse racing beneath his hand, and he frowned when she squinted her eyes closed as she seemed to be waiting for her fate to befall her.

"Never fear me, my dear…" Poseidon softly said in a low voice.

"I may be a God, but I would never hurt a hair on the top of your head" Pelagia's eyes opened, revealing red rimmed, cautious orbs of green. Poseidon's sprits lifted ever so slightly as he saw the girl begin to relax.

"I was only unbuttoning my shirt so you could use it to cover yourself. I never had any intentions of…."Poseidon trailed off, as he couldn't even bring himself to say the word. Pelagia's tears started to dry up as her initial panic faded. Poseidon than proceeded to unbutton his shirt again. Slipping it off of his shoulders, he laid it across her chest which was still covered by her arms, then turned away respectfully to let her dress. After a few minutes he heard her clear her throat. Turning back, he couldn't help but smile at how the shirt dwarfed his daughter's 5'6" frame, and yet at the same time seemed to fit her perfectly.

_Perhaps it is because she is a part of me, and thus has inherited my love affair for Hawaiian shirts. _Poseidon pondered to himself.

Kneeling down once more, he gently took Pelagia into his arms, desperate to connect with her enough in order to explain to her what she is, and how things really were. Feeling the girl stiffen in his arms, he shushed her and gently rocked her, murmuring comforting words to her in Greek. Whether she understood what he said or not, he knew that the meaning behind the words had at least gotten through to her, since she immediately relaxed into his arms, resting her head on his bare shoulder, and only quietly crying at the events that had taken place.

_And whatever other horrors that could have happened to my child…_Poseidon thought to himself. Then like a gentle breeze, Poseidon thought he heard his little girl whisper something to him. Pulling back ever so slightly in order to look her in the eyes, he asked for an affirmation.

"Did you say something, my dear?" Pelagia gazed back up at Poseidon cautiously, almost afraid to ask her question. Poseidon nudged her encouragingly while tightening his grip on his daughter in a reassuring manner.

"Go ahead, what did you want to ask me now?" he smiled gently. Pelagia opened her mouth to speak again, and Poseidon had to hold his breath in order to hear her correctly.

"Wait, did you say, you're a…God?" Pelagia sighed questioningly, and tilted her head in confusion, waiting for an answer.

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Hey guys! So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I had to make the rating M because of the rape attempt and slight gore, but Poseidon came to the rescue, and now in the next chapter Poseidon will take Pelagia away from FL and to camp Half-Blood :D! and yayyy Steve's gone! (or is he? Bum bum BUMMMM!) Let me know what you all think!


	8. Chapter 7

Hey guys. Sorry it has taken me slightly over a year to update. Grad school has really kept me busy for the last year, but now I've finally had a little more free time to update. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter, consider it a gift for today's holiday; HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And know this, I do not plan on abandoning this story, it just may take a while to finish it. Please send me reviews! : And for those who don't like the story, if you don't like it, don't read it, it's as simple as that.

p.s. Really sorry for those who are fluent in Greek if my sentence in Greek in this chapter is translated wrong XD.

Enjoy the update! _

The great sea king released Pelagia from the embrace and smiled with his response to her question "That is quite right my dear, I am indeed a God."

"So…as in…the Greek God; Poseidon?" Pelagia rose her eye brow to this revelation.

"that's right Pelagia, I am Poseidon."

Pelagia looked completely baffled at his statement. "But that's impossible, the Greek Gods don't exist-Oh!" she clamped her hand to her mouth to prevent herself from saying anymore offending statements lest she become ash like Steve. Pelagia looked meekly at her father, afraid what she would see.

But Poseidon was far from being angry, in fact he let out a roaring laugh, then knelt down and hugged her so tight that Pelagia was sure she would crack a rib.

"It seems that you have some of my spirit in you yet! You are sharp and speak your mind! Though let me tell you, my brothers despise that part of my personality." Poseidon winked at Pelagia

Pelagia peeked up at him between Poseidon's massive iron-pumping arms.

"So it's all true? You have 2 brothers named Zeus and Hades and 3 sisters named Hestia, Demeter and Hera?" How can you guys be real but the rest of the world worships so many other religions?

Poseidon loosened his hold on Pelagia to look her in the eye as he answered her question.

"Well, it has been several thousand years since the Greeks worshipped us, but we were only realized in Western civilization, and times change, so when the Romans came into power they thought it would be cute to give us different names, like by calling me Neptune for example." Poseidon rolled his eyes at the idiocy of it all. "And soon after that Christianity came into play. But it matters not, just because someone doesn't believe in me doesn't mean that I still don't rule the seas. Believe me; I can convince plenty of mortals when they are sailing across my oceans of my existence if it ever struck my fancy, though usually I am much more preoccupied with other things. Truthfully, it is better if Gods don't associate with mortals, we have a habit of, how do you put it, majorly screwing things up if we do."

Pelagia squinted her eyes in confusion, "How do you guys mess things up by interacting with humans?"

"Well, we were the cause of World War II, and many other wars of the past, and often we end up taking sides in these wars and can greatly influence them. But by doing this we cause great amounts of death and destruction."

Pelagia's eyes widened in shock.

"What? You caused World War II? Are you serious?"

Poseidon pouted slightly, if that were possible for such an ancient being to do.

"Well, not by myself, my brothers definitely played their parts in the war too. And besides, it matters not as all of this happened long before you were born." Poseidon ruffled Pelagia's hair as he craftily changed the topic.

"Now what do you remember from school about Greek Mythology?" Poseidon questioned.

Once Pelagia finished raking her fingers through her hair to fix it, she pursed her lips in thought, "Well, I remember that there was chaos, and then from chaos came Rhea and Cronus, and then from those two came Zeus, Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Hera and, well, you. All of you waged war against your father to come into power, but I don't remember exactly what happened…"

Poseidon Smirked .

"Not bad, it seems that those buffoons at your school were able to teach you something of importance." Pelagia giggled at the old-school nick name that Poseidon gave to the teachers at her school.

"My father didn't like the prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his children, so every time my mother had a child he would eat it."

Pelagia's eyes bulged out of her head at this explanation

"What the fuck kind of father does this? That's cannibalism!" Pelagia barked out.

Poseidon's first reaction to Pelagia's cussing was amusement through the smirk that graced his facial features, but then his face turned to one of stern paternalism.

"Pelagia, I will not have you cursing like some lewd mortal with no manners. You are better than this, you are a lady."

_And a princess actually, though I will explain that as soon as I get past these initial questions…_ Poseidon thought to himself.

Pelagia felt the authority of Poseidon wash over her strongly; so much so that she felt she would have rolled over and shown her belly to him had she been a dog or some other similar creature.

Pelagia lowered her eyes to the sand beneath her feet and slumped her posture; wiggling her painted toes into the powdery beach below her.

"I'm s-sorry sir… I didn't mean to make you mad…" She stammered.

Poseidon's eyes softened at his daughter's sudden meekness.

_I must remember not to raise my voice at her… she is quite sensitive, I'm sure it is all due to the life she has been forced to live. I shall have to make sure myself and Chiron build up her confidence; she will need it in order to survive the dangerous life of a demi-god. _

Poseidon gently took Pelagia's chin into his large, calloused hand and tilted her head back up so she would look at him once more. He gently ran his thumb over the girls slender jaw line at the same time in a soothing motion to reassure her that there were no ill-feelings involved.

_Such beautiful eyes on a girl, _Poseidon thought, _I hope she is not harassed too much by the boys at Camp Half-Blood for possessing the beauty of a sea-goddess. Her eyes are quite like mine, though slightly lighter in shade, probably due to Erica being her mother…_

"Child, I do not believe you could truly ever make me angry. But getting back to the short history lesson, my mother eventually gave birth to Zeus, and hid him so he could grow strong to fight our father and rescue the rest us. Basically, he was able to do this once Cronus regurgitated all of us, and then we all divided up our power." _No need to get into gory detail about the fighting that ensued. _Poseidon thought.

Pelagia wrinkled her nose in disgust "Your Dad puked you up? How is that even possible? I mean, wouldn't all of you been digested? The whole idea goes against the laws of physics, or something-"

"We Gods are not subject to the laws of the universe like the mortals are. Just like it is not considered incest for Godly brothers and sisters to bed each other, because our genetics are completely different, despite the fact we are all related and come from the same parents from time to time." Poseidon interrupted Pelagia.

Pelagia made a face at the last part of Poseidon's answer, "Whatever, I still think it's all pretty freakish."

Poseidon chuckled at her bold words, encouraging her outgoing behavior and astonished at her emerging boldness when just a moment ago she had been in a nearly catatonic state due to her step-father.

_There is hope for her yet… my _child_ is no weakling…_

Standing back up, Poseidon gently took Pelagia's arm to help her back to a standing position from kneeling. She softly gasped at the uncomfortable pressure on her bicep and ripped her arm away.

_Crap I don't want him to know about my bruises…_ Pelagia thought to herself, and looked to the ground so Poseidon wouldn't see how embarrassed she felt.

"Pelagia…" Poseidon asked concerned

_Where is she hurt? How careless of me not to look over my child before we started talking!_ Poseidon thought worriedly.

"What has he done to you? Did he give you those bruises?" Poseidon asked as he rolled up the Hawaiian shirt's sleeve to see her arms covered with black and blue finger prints. Pelagia's lips tightened as her eyes began to water up from the embarrassment and the pain emanating from her arm; she shook her head in an affirmative manner , trying to be brave.

Poseidon wrapped his arms around his child, desperate to take away some of her pain. He kissed her temple and firmly held her against his chest. Immediately upon contact, Pelagia began sobbing loudly into Poseidon's chest.

"Oh my child, he will never hurt you again. Never again…" Poseidon rocked his daughter through her hysterics, and gently tightened his embrace as the waterfall of tears seemed to increase, ever mindful of her sore ribs and arm.

_I need to check her ribs and arm to make sure they are not broken, then quickly get her to my palace before Zeus or the others find out what has happened. I'm sure these tears are also the result of over 10 years of stress from living with a monster._ Poseidon's mind relayed to himself, 

Pelagia's tears eventually died down once more, and only after sobs shook her frame every so often while she gripped Poseidon for dear life; he continued to shelter her in his arms.

"I wish I could have held you in my arms when you were born and watched you grow up into the lovely girl you are now. I am so sorry I didn't know about your existence until now, my sea princess…" Poseidon whispered into Pelagia's ear.

Poseidon's response suddenly distracted Pelagia, and with the last of her tears still streaming down her cheeks she lifted her head.

"What?" she croaked, her voice scratchy from her last bout of tears

"You're… my dad? How is this possible?"

Smiling at his daughter, Poseidon took her angular face in his hands and wiped away the last fat tears rolling down her face with his thumbs.

"σας είναι πολύ ωραίο να κλαίμε…" whispered Poseidon.

A confused look crossed Pelagia's face.

"What?"

"I said, you are too pretty to cry, and yes, I am your father."

Pelagia's eyes widened, "So does that mean that you, and my mom….. My mom got laid by the God of the Seas?" she squeaked.

Poseidon chuckled loudly, "No your mother did not "get laid" by me, but yes I did make love to her, which resulted in you, but I was not aware of this fact until very recently…"

A crimson blush spread across Pelagia's face as unwanted images came into her mind.

_Ughhhh, no I don't want to imagine that…_ Pelagia squinted in an effort to rid her mind of the offensive slide show that was currently playing to her.

"Yes, you are my daughter, and we must leave this beach to the safety of my underwater palace. But before we go let me look at your arm and ribs, I can't have you walking around with any broken bones."

Pelagia's anxiety hitched up once more at the thought of someone as strong as a God poking and prodding her when she could have broken bones.

Back peddling on her knees as she had fallen back on them during her last bout of tears, Pelagia wrapped her arms around herself.

"No! Please don't! The last time I was checked for broken bones it really hurt!"

A combination of anger and sadness filled the sea king at the thought of further mistreatment in her past.

_What else was she forced to endure?_ Poseidon wondered, distressed.

Poseidon inched forward slowly, and Pelagia felt her lower lip quiver in anticipation of more physical pain.

"My dear, do you not trust me? Am I not your rescuer?" Poseidon crooned to her softly as he moved closely to her and began rolling up the sleeve on her right arm.

Pelagia understood the reasoning behind Poseidon's words.

_Deep down, I do trust him, I trust him more than anyone I know now, and now that I know he is my father, he would never hurt me… We look so similar, we must be related, and he wouldn't lie to me, I can just feel it… I can trust him… _Pelagia mentally deliberated with herself.

"You're right, Dad," the word felt odd as it rolled off of Pelagia's tongue for the first time; Dad. Though the word also made her feel very excited.

"I trust you, just please don't make it too painful" Worried eyes stared up at Poseidon's visage.

"I promise, I shall be thorough and quick, but I need this assessment so I know how much ambrosia to give you." Poseidon responded, and gently started kneading her bicep, searching for a physical weakness.

"You know that I have some experience with treating wounds over the millennia? And I've even had time to sit in on medical lectures when I've felt the urge to learn. The astonishing functions of the human body have always held my interest…" Poseidon prattled, trying to distract Pelagia from the source of her anxiety.

"Really? I never thou-" Pelagia's sentence was cut short as she squeaked out a cry of pain and desperately tried to rip her arm out of her father's grip.

"Just as I had suspected, you have a small fracture in your arm." Poseidon confirmed and released her arm while stroking the top of her head with his other hand.

Poseidon then shifted his position in front of Pelagia and allowed his fingers to dance across every one of her ribs through his bright, Hawaiian shirt she was wearing. Pelagia held her breath in anticipation of another moment of shooting pain. But nothing more than a dull, throbbing ache occurred.

"There! All done, now that wasn't too bad, was it?" Poseidon made an effort to lighten the somber mood as he rolled her sleeve back down to its original position.

"No, you're right, it wasn't that bad, actually…" Pelagia was astonished by the revelation that a medical exam could be a kind-hearted thing.

Poseidon reached into his pocket and pulled out a cube.

"Pelagia, this is ambrosia, eat this and you will feel well once more. It is the food of the Gods, but a few others can eat it as well."

Pelagia took the cube and chewed it up. Delight filled her being at once.

"Oh wow! It tastes like my favorite food! My mom's recipe of spaghetti with meatballs."

"Yes, ambrosia takes on the flavor of your favorite foods." Poseidon explained "How do you feel?"

Poseidon took notice of her body and felt absolutely no physical pain. A smile crossed her face.

"I feel great! There's no pain!" Pelagia jumped to her feet, feeling invigorated.

Poseidon once again was amused by the antics of his young daughter that night. He then hoisted her up onto his shoulder so her new view was his back and he was supporting her by tightly holding her thighs to his own body.

"Good, now it is time to retire for the night to my palace, where it is safe." Poseidon responded.

"Why? I feel-" her sentence was broken up by a large yawn. "-fine."

Poseidon was no fool. Though he knew his daughter felt no pain, he also realized she was not physical rested because he only gave her just enough ambrosia to heal her physical wounds. He was determined to have her sleeping soundly for many hours until he took her to camp half-blood.

"Yes my dear, physically you feel fine, but you cannot hide the dark circles under your eyes, nor that large yawn. It is far past your bed time."

Pelagia rolled her eyes at the comment. "Dad. I'm not 5 anymore, I haven't had a bedtime in years." Groused Pelagia as Poseidon began walked towards the waters of the beach.

"You haven't had a bedtime because of the neglectful behavior of that animal you lived with. And you might as well be 5 years old, for 16 is an infant's age to a being that has been alive for thousands of years." Poseidon gently teased his daughter, and he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face when his daughter regarded him with an irritated look over her shoulder.

Suddenly Pelagia felt sea water on her feet, and noticed that her father was continuing his trek further into the ocean.

"Wait! I'll drown!" Pelagia shouted.

Poseidon chuckled. "No you won't, you are incapable of drowning because you are my daughter, trust me you will be fine." And like that both were under water. Pelagia hesitantly took a small breath, then another that was much deeper, and to her astonishment she discovered the truth in Poseidon's words. She could breathe underwater.

Poseidon whistled for his hippocampus, and soon a rather large one swam up to him and gave a slight bow. Pelagia felt her jaw drop at the sight of the mythical sea creature, it had the head of a horse but a large tail fin. The creature wiggled its shimmering fins impatiently as Poseidon mounted the hippocampus and motioned for Pelagia to ride in front of him. Hesitantly she stepped towards the creature.

"Are you sure it's ok? Maybe I weigh too much with our combined weight for him?" Pelagia asked.

"I'm sure Pelagia, now hop on, I know you can do it from how often you ride your favorite horses." Poseidon smiled at her.

With renewed confidence Pelagia mounted the hippocampus like she would a horse and tried to steady herself until she felt her father's grip from behind on her hips. Suddenly the hippocampus took off like a speed demon from hell, and the shock of the moment caused Pelagia to jump slightly and grip her father's arms at her hips that secured her in place.

"Relax my dear daughter," Poseidon whispered to Pelagia, "close your eyes and relax against me, I promise no harm will come to you while we are under water."

With those words Pelagia felt the adrenaline that had been pumping so furiously through her veins fade away, and she felt the rollercoaster of emotions she had experienced that night weigh on her heavily. Her eyes pleaded with her to close them, and she tried to stifle another yawn with no success.

Relax, she heard her father's voice again, though she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or if Poseidon actually spoke again. Leaning her body back against her father, she felt herself relax and give into her need for sleep, and soon the world fell into a comforting blackness that only the ocean could give.

Pelagia suddenly woke up in a foreign room, and she felt a small panic come over her initially. Pelagia quickly looked around the room from the position she was in, and noticed the detailed carvings of sea shells into the stone of the bedframe, and the various delicate decorations of other sea creatures throughout the room. It was beautiful.

_How did I get here? Dad must of carried me here when I fell asleep on the hippocampus…_ Thought Pelagia.

"You are awake again?" she heard the deep baritone voice and turned towards it from the bed she was laying in.

Poseidon looked at her with a slightly worried look on his face.

"But I just tucked you in." Poseidon responded once more as he walked towards the grand bed and laid his hand on her forehead to make sure she didn't have a fever.

Pelagia couldn't help but giggle at her father's response, and instantly the rest of the memories of what had occurred that night returned to her, along with another thought that slightly worried her.

"Are you sure it's ok to sleep here? I mean…will Amphitrite be ok with it? I've heard stories of Hera, and how upset she gets when her husband's little bastards are in her presence." Pelagia whispered to her father in a hushed tone, and even paused to glance around her room before she said Amphitrite's name, as if waiting for her to pop out of some crevice and bite off her head.

Poseidon pulled away after he convinced himself that she wasn't ill, just startled awake by her new surroundings.

"Don't say that word." Poseidon shushed her as he dimmed the coral reef lights with a wave of his hand, turning back to her.

"Don't say what?" Pelagia asked confused

"Bastard. It has a negative connotation, and you are anything but a little bastard. You are my daughter, a princess of the sea. And as for Amphitrite,"

Poseidon walked back over to Pelagia and gently tucked her back into bed once more.

"She will not cause any problems for you, I can assure you of this, you are safe here, so sleep well."

Poseidon playfully tapped Pelagia on the nose and then tried to walk out of the room once more.

"Dad!" Pelagia called out to Poseidon. Poseidon stopped in his tracks and sighed before turning around to face his daughter once more.

Pelagia bit her bottom lip as she took notice of her Father's waning patience.

_I forget that Gods need their rest too… _She thought.

"I was just wondering, could you please…" Pelagia's sentence drifted off as she tried to find the right words.

"Dad, can you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep? I believe you about Amphitrite, I do… but I just want to be sure, and I'm in a new place, and well… I'm, scared, I guess…" Pelagia muttered the last part of her sentence quietly, embarrassed that she felt such an irrational fear.

Poseidon's eyes softened at the plight of his daughter, and he walked over to the edge of her bed, but not before he grabbed a chair from the corner of the spacious room they were in to sit in.

"Of course I'll sit with you until you fall back asleep." Poseidon responded as he sat down in the chair and pushed her hair out of her face.

Pelagia felt her eye lids become heavy as her body relaxed with the knowledge that her father would sit with her tonight. She turned on her side and regarded him with half lidded eyes.

"Ok good, cause I feel safer with you around…" she muttered as her eyes closed once more. She heard the sea king chuckle at her response and felt his heavy hand stroke her hair back once more.

"Dad…" Pelagia softly spoke again.

"Hm?" Poseidon responded, tired himself.

"Thanks, for everything, I don't know where I'd be tonight if you hadn't been there for me…" Pelagia quietly elaborated and opened her eyes again with the last of her strength to look at her father.

_Is this what it feels like to be loved? _She wondered. _It's been so long since I've felt safe_.

Poseidon gave Pelagia a lopsided smile and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Is that not what fathers are for? I will always help you when I can. Know that you always have my love, my dear princess." He whispered into her ear before pulling away again to sit straight in the chair.

Pelagia felt a deep warmth spread through her at his words, and she recognized it as love and the feeling of safeness, something she had craved for so long, but she now had it, at least for the time being.

Pelagia smiled tiredly at her father's words.

"Night Dad, I love you." Pelagia's eyes closed again.

"Love you too my dear," Poseidon smiled back down at her, "And sleep well, for there is much work to be done tomorrow to prepare you for camp half-blood." Poseidon leaned in to bring the soft, sea-star patterned blanket closer to his daughter's chin so she would be adequately warm.

Pelagia fell asleep to the beautiful hummed melody of a foreign sounding lullaby. She knew her father hummed it, but she didn't recognize it. She had an inkling of a feeling that this camp half-blood wasn't anything to laugh at, so she cherished the time she had now with her father, and once more fell into an unconscious state in the safety of her father's presence.


	9. Chapter 8

NOTE: I do not own the Percy Jackson Series, only my own characters, Steve Gufford and Pelagia Taylor.

Hey guys. Here's the next update! Thanks for all the reviews! : I'm happy to know that the majority of you are enjoying the story. I love the reviews, the more I get the better I am encouraged to update :D.

Midori- oh hell no, I would never pair up Poseidon and Pelagia! BLEH! LOL XD incest stories gross me out. At this point I am developing the characters' personalities so the readers can get a feel of what they are like. Obviously at this point Poseidon is the most human of the big three, as he cares deeply for his children (including Percy, who will be the younger brother of Pelagia) and has a playful personality. Zeus and Hades, well you guys will see what I have in store for their personalities :. Personality wise, Pelagia is older beyond her years because she was never really allowed to have a childhood due to Steve, (which at times is why she can sound so old when she speaks, but there are times where she seems like a normal teen girl). But once she gets to camp a new friend she meets there will balance her out ;).

Btw, hope you guys understand the quick South Park reference in here, if not, search on youtube "cartman maury show" and you'll know exactly what Pelagia was thinking of, LOL!

Enjoy the update! _

Slowly, blurred vision gave way and Pelagia found herself staring up at the ceiling of the extravagant room she had been sleeping in.

_So it wasn't a dream…_ She thought.

Sitting up in her bed, Pelagia scratched her eyes and really got a good look at her room for the first time. The walls were made of sea green clay. There was a bookcase that was made of sea pearls. But what was amazing was the variety of pearls that covered the outer part of the clay bookshelf.

Mesmerized, Pelagia stood from the bed and walked to the shelf.

"There are so many colors of pearls here, it's like a rainbow." Pelagia ran her fingers over the pearls, assuring herself of their authenticity.

The sound of her bare feet slapping the marble floor was the only audible noise as Pelagia continued to explore her new room. She pushed aside a large set of celadon curtains that were covering a window, and to her astonishment she saw only ocean water and various tropical fish outside the glassless window, yet the water was not making its way inside to her room, which was dry. She stuck her hand out the window, fascinated at how her hand would feel wet outside the window, but then it would be dry once she pulled her hand back inside.

"It has to be some sort of magic." She muttered, confused.

Looking back out the window, she saw the tropical fish that had been swimming aimlessly by her window had all stopped and lined up in-front of her window. Then acting like a line of dominoes, each fish bowed.

_Hello Princess!_ She heard mentally from the fish. Pelagia's eyes widened at what she was experiencing.

"Um, Hello.." Pelagia squeaked out, trying to be polite, and then she quickly shoved the curtains back in place, having trouble believing what she just saw.

_Can all sea creatures talk to me?_ She thought.

Looking up she saw the detailed artwork on the ceiling. There was a large wave, and in the center was the image of the trident; the entire thing was made out of various rare sea shells and must have taken months to complete due to its massive size. The shells sparkled in the light of the room like sapphires. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it all meant; it was representative of the power of the sea god, and what came with that power, especially while you were in his domain.

And in the corner of her room was the thing that fascinated Pelagia the most. Leaning next to the chair that her father had used last night was a life sized replica of Poseidon's most powerful weapon; his trident. Pelagia grasped the weapon and was immediately weighed down by its bulk, but the smooth metal that it was made out of was cool to the touch.

"My trident has always been my most powerful weapon. I'm glad that you have taken a special affinity to it." The powerful baritone voice belonging to her father took Pelagia off guard and made her jump.

Looking over her shoulder, Pelagia caught the sea king having a great laugh at her expense in the doorway of her room, but she smiled despite how ridiculous she's sure she looked. She trusted her father's actions to never be malevolent against her, though other immortals that she had yet to meet she wasn't so sure about.

"You scared me! You sneak around really well."

Poseidon's face suddenly took on a serious look, and he inclined his head to her ever so slightly, "My pardon, it was not my intention to scare you" Though the twinkle in his eyes showed otherwise.

"Besides, this is my kingdom, and I have no reason to sneak around, I can do whatever I want."

Pelagia busted out laughing at her father's last sentence, as the image of Cartman from South Park dancing around on the Maury Show screaming "whatever I do what I want!" In a tube-top came to mind.

Poseidon smiled at his child "What are you laughing at."

"Nothing." Pelagia said quickly, and a smirk appeared on her face while she continued to hold in the rest of her laughter.

Dismissing his daughter's behavior, Poseidon stepped into the room and took the trident from Pelagia's hand, as her entire arm was shaking in its effort to hold the heavy weapon. He leaned it back up against the wall and turned to look at her.

"I was wondering when you would wake up, you must have been very tired to have slept for so long."

Pelagia furrowed her brow in confusion. "What time is it? It's probably around 11am, right?"

Poseidon barked out a laugh, as if the entire notion of it still being morning was absolutely absurd.

"I'm afraid not Pelagia, it's nearly 5pm in the evening."

Pelagia gasped. "What? How is that possible? That means I slept for like… 15 hours! I've never slept that long before."

"You must be hungry, are you hungry?"

With that question Pelagia's stomach answered for her; it growled angrily.

Poseidon laughed "I'll take that as a yes, come with me."

Pelagia's father stepped out of her room and started walking down the hall.

"Wait!" Pelagia shouted and peeked around the door frame, "I need to change out of my clothes, I'm still wearing the same outfit from last night, and I feel disgusting."

Poseidon rolled his eyes from down the hallway at her statement, "Females, I will never understand their obsession with their appearance…"

Pelagia realized something as she began to open a dresser drawer

_"Wait… I don't have any spare clothes with me! Crap!" _

However, that concern soon left her as she saw the drawer was full of clothing.

Confused, she looked back at the doorway where her father stood, leaning against the wall.

"I took measures to prepare for your arrival. I couldn't have you come here and then leave for camp without clothes."

Glancing back at her clothes, Pelagia felt grateful for her father's actions

_At least now I know I will something to wear when I am at camp._

Poseidon pointed to a door at the back corner of her room, "That is your room's personal bathroom, get cleaned up and meet me downstairs, and then we can all have dinner as a family."

"As a family?" Pelagia replied, uncertain.

_He doesn't mean… _Dreaded Pelagia

"Amphitrite and Triton, your step-mother and half-brother will be joining us for dinner tonight as well."

Pelagia forced a smile. "Oh. How nice. Well I'll see you on the first floor then." Pelagia turned around quickly and started to speed walk to the bathroom.

"Pelagia." She stopped as she felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

"I know what this is about Pelagia, and so I will ask you this. What did I tell you last night?"

"That Amphitrite will not cause any problems for me, but-"

"That's right," Poseidon interrupted, "and the same goes for Triton as well, so quickly get cleaned up so we can eat dinner and then I can start preparing you for camp half-blood." Poseidon gave her a slight nudge in the direction of the bathroom.

Irritated, Pelagia turned around. "How can you say that everything will be ok? If there was one thing I learned from my Greek mythology class it's that the wives of the Gods always got even when their husband's backs were turned by maiming their demi-god children! And now you say that we're all going to be a happy family? Come on Dad! How stupid do you think I am?" Pelagia narrowed her eyes as she finished her rant.

_Stubborn… _Poseidon smiled to himself.

"You're right Pelagia, I can't promise you that we're going to be a happy family, because that's not the reality of the situation. My wife is not pleased that I have sired another demi-god child, and I'm sure Triton will be jealous of the attention I will be giving you. But I can promise you will not be harmed, and that they will at least be civil."

Pelagia nodded in understanding.

"So, I will meet you on the first floor. You will need to take the staircase to get there, which is at the end of the hallway. And after dinner I have a gift to give you." Poseidon smiled.

The word gift peaked Pelagia's interest.

"A gift? For me? Why?"

"Why not? You are my daughter after all, and you will need your own special weapon to take with you when you go away to camp half-blood." Poseidon replied as he walked out of her room and down the hallway, giving her a heavy hint of what the surprise actually was.

_He has given so much to me, and yet he insists on more. Is he expecting something in return? Or is it because he really wants me to have these nice things? _Pelagia mused as she shut her bedroom door and went into the bathroom.

She turned on the water until it was sinfully hot; she noticed it had a salty smell.

_Well duh! I am at the bottom of the ocean_. She reminded herself as she stripped down and got into the water. Using the soap and shampoo provided, she quickly finished up and picked out a sea foam green sweater and dark blue jeans. On the corner of her dresser she saw that many items from her attic had already been brought to her room, like her photo album and her make-up.

She smirked as she wondered how her father got into Steve's house to bring all these things to the bottom of the ocean, which he somehow prevented from becoming soaked and ruined.

_I guess that's another one of his secrets that I'll have to ask about later on. _ Pelagia thought to herself as she ran her fingers through her long, wet hair, trying to dry it. Figuring that since it wasn't dripping wet anymore, it was dry enough.

_I don't want to keep Dad waiting, but I especially don't want to make a bad first impression on Amphitrite and Triton, since they probably already hate me. _She thought as she walked out of her room and down the hall to the stair case like her father instructed, but not without slipping on her green sketcher shoes that were so conveniently retrieved from her attic for her.

Arriving on the first floor, Pelagia spotted her father talking to someone on the other side of the palace entrance, where the ocean waters flowed.

_Is that…. a dolphin?_ Pelagia thought to herself.

Indeed it was a dolphin, but it wasn't any normal bottle nosed dolphin, it was Delphin, God of the dolphins.

Slowly approaching her father, who was having a deep conversation with Delphin, Pelagia cleared her voice, which signaled the end of her father's conversation and what sounded like squeaking replies to her father's question from Delphin.

Delphin took one look at Pelagia, and bowed deeply

"Hello, Sea Princess." he squeaked at her, though she mentally heard his greeting, and turned around to swim away.

Pelagia stood there with her mouth agape. Poseidon laughed at her expression.

"Did that dolphin just say hello to me?"

Poseidon smirked, amused by how new everything was to her. "Yes, but his name is Delphin, and he is God of the dolphins. Next time do not be shy and say hello to him too."

Blushing at how rude she probably seemed, Pelagia hastily nodded in agreement with her father.

Noticing that Pelagia's hair was still damp, Poseidon thought this would be a good time to teach her one aspect of her power.

"Pelagia, your hair is still wet, didn't you know that as my child you can control when you want to be dry or wet?"

Blinking back her surprise, Pelagia looked up at her father. "Really? How?"

"Well, let's try something simple. Imagine that your hair is dry, then push forth your energy to make it happen."

Pelagia decided to try it without questioning her father's directions first. She relaxed her body and closed her eyes. Then she brought forth the image in her mind of her long hair shining in the sun, dry and not damp. Suddenly, she felt a tingling sensation on her head, as if the water was evaporating from her head.

Opening her eyes, Pelagia ran her hand through her hair, shocked to find that it had worked, and her hair was no longer damp.

"Wow! I didn't know I could do that! I guess I really am related to you, aren't I?" she laughed, feeling like she was on cloud nine for being able to control water, even if it was in a very minor degree.

Poseidon found himself laughing with her, greatly relieved that she was already able to control her natural element.

_It will be that much easier to teach her the basics about controlling her natural element…_ thought the Sea King.

Deciding to change the topic, Pelagia asked Poseidon a question as they both started walking to the kitchen together.

"What were you guys talking about?"

"Oh, the usual things. He keeps an eye out for me to make sure all the sea communities are in balance. Lately the mer-people have been arguing with the dolphins over coordinating their schedules of training and playing water polo. They can settle it themselves, but I always need to keep an eye on things to make sure the battles don't ever become bloody." Poseidon winked at her as he said this.

_Would the battles between the sea communities ever become dangerous? Or is he saying this because he's pulling my leg? I can't always tell with him…_

As they closed in to the entrance of the kitchen, Pelagia's ears picked up the hushed conversation between a man and a woman up ahead, and instantly the hair on her neck stood straight up.

The two walked into a sitting room that was at the entrance of the kitchen and saw what Pelagia had been dreading since first arriving in Poseidon's kingdom; Amphitrite and Triton.

Both stopped their conversation immediately as all 4 beings set eyes on each other.

The Queen was beautiful. She had flowing black hair that curled at the ends, and went down to the small of her back. Steel, blue eyes accompanied this look with green, smooth skin. The toga she wore shimmered like blue fish scales in the dimmed light of the palace, making her look stunning. The small horns pointing out of her head, similar to crab claws, did nothing to diminish her beauty. Amphitrite pursed her full lips with her scrutinizing stare of Pelagia.

Glancing over to Triton, Pelagia saw that he had his straight, black hair pulled into a tight, low pony-tail. He still wore his studded, pearl armor over his bare chest from an earlier training session, which she noticed he flexed his chest muscles slightly underneath the armor as he evaluated her. He wore a similar toga like outfit on his lower half, which like Amphitrite shimmered in the low light, but instead of blue scales it was a celadon color. Triton's gaze was cool, but gave nothing away. His intimidating stare was only heightened by his green skin; like his mother's.

Each had a condescending air about each other.

_Strange, _Thought Pelagia_. I thought Amphitrite was a Nereid and that Triton was a merman with 2 tails, but where are both of their tails? Maybe like the other Gods I learned about they can manipulate their appearances, and so while indoors they have legs instead of fins? That must be the case. _

Pelagia forced a small smile to come forth, and she bowed her head when she greeted both of them.

"Lady Amphitrite and Prince Triton, it's an honor to meet you both."

_I hope I did that right_. Pelagia thought, slightly panicked at what the outcome might be if she offended either one of them.

It seemed that Amphitrite's eye twitched slightly at Pelagia's greeting. Pelagia braced herself for her reaction.

"Hello girl. It seems that you have made it to Atlantis in one piece. Well that's a start." Amphitrite turned around and with her nose raised in the air, walked into the kitchen.

Triton said nothing as he turned around and followed his mother.

Pelagia stood straight again and looked at her father, curious if she had done something wrong. He looked down at her; his normally smiling face had drawn into a slightly irritated and stressed expression, which seemingly aged him about 10 years. It seemed that he had hoped his son and wife would be more welcoming.

_Is he worried that his wife and son will not follow through with their agreement to not harm me?_ Wondered Pelagia.

Suddenly, Poseidon's voice invaded her thoughts. Startled, Pelagia jumped.

_I promised that they would be civil, but not friendly. Just relax and enjoy the meal that has been prepared, then we can move onto the important issue for this evening._

With his advice, Poseidon walked into the kitchen, and Pelagia followed him, hoping with all her might she wasn't metaphorically entering the snake pit.


End file.
